Paper Mario: Sticker Star

 3DS
User Score
5.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 613 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 221 out of 613
  2. Mixed: 161 out of 613
  3. Negative: 231 out of 613
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  1. MazinroboX2
    Mar 30, 2016
    2
    This is a extremely disappointing game. I mean, I was thrilled when I watched the trailers, getting back to the turn-based system, something I loved in the first 2 games and wasn't in the third, and the mark Paper Mario was all I needed for huge will to play this. But well... I didn't get what I expected. The great story and characters this series has had, especially the first two games,This is a extremely disappointing game. I mean, I was thrilled when I watched the trailers, getting back to the turn-based system, something I loved in the first 2 games and wasn't in the third, and the mark Paper Mario was all I needed for huge will to play this. But well... I didn't get what I expected. The great story and characters this series has had, especially the first two games, they are gone, the story is the same as every Mario game with nothing special, and the sticker system for battling is awful. You get no reward for winning battles, actually the game punishes you for battling, something I hadn't seen in any RPG. The only reward is... money. And for that you must win the battles spending your stickers, which you must buy with money or find while you play. Also bosses are ridiculous, there is an overpowered sticker for all of them that just destroys them, if you don't find it they are extremely hard, and if you find it they are piece of cake. Sure, the Paper Mario universe charm and great music are there, and the world, while not as good as the ones in the previous games, is decent (that's why this gets a 2 and not a 0...)

    All in all, don't buy this, it's not worth your time, there are much better games out there.    … Expand
  2. Gamelove
    Mar 28, 2016
    9
    Per molte persone il voto che ho messo a questo gioco è pura follia, ma comunque sono felice di poter esprimere la mia opinione.
    Per analizzare questo gioco, giudicherò gli aspetti principali di ogni gioco:
    1.TRAMA Sulla trama non c'è molto da dire perchè è praticamente inesistente ed inoltre non sono presenti personaggi diversi da Toad, però questa situazione è identica per la maggior    Per molte persone il voto che ho messo a questo gioco è pura follia, ma comunque sono felice di poter esprimere la mia opinione.
    Per analizzare questo gioco, giudicherò gli aspetti principali di ogni gioco:
    1.TRAMA
    Sulla trama non c'è molto da dire perchè è praticamente inesistente ed inoltre non sono presenti personaggi diversi da Toad, però questa situazione è identica per la maggior parte dei giochi di Mario e comunque meglio di un altro rpg di Mario la cui trama è un'accozzaglia di eventi senza un senso logico.In conclusione non ho sofferto molto per la mancanza di trama ma ciò non rende giustificabile la sua assenza.
    voto:5 (solo per la situazione simile ad altri giochi di Mario, che lo salva da un voto piu basso)
    2.GAMEPLAY
    Il gameplay è l'aspetto che ha fatto più discutere, ma io personalmente l'ho trovato divertente e per certi versi innovativo, ma è per sempre vero che la mancanza di esperienza non è cosa da poco e sicuramente se fosse stata presente(anche se non so come si sarebbe integrata con il sistema di sticker).
    Il combattimento con gli sticker l'ho trovato divertente seppur probabilmente inutile, e nei combattimenti con i boss è sempre presente un determinato sticker da usare per infliggere un danno maggiore(e pensare che la gente su internet dice che senza quegli sticker è impossibile vincere, quando in un solo caso è vero).
    Poi passiamo ai puzzle dove le lamentele sono vere solo in parte:
    gli enigmi che utilizzano gli sticker-oggetto riguardano il trovare uno sticker-oggetto specifico che potrebbe essere ovunque, in quel caso l'enigma può essere definito frustrante mentre quando l'enigma riguarda i ritagli,cioè i pezzi di scenario mancanti, basta analizzare bene lo scenario e se non lo si trova significa che bisogna tornarci dopo, ed in questo caso il puzzle non è frustrante ed il dire che lo è dimostra magari il non riuscire a risolverli.
    Per ultimo vorrei parlare del level design: specificato che non trovo fastidiosa la mappa dei mondi, io ho adorato il level design di questo gioco, perchè ogni singolo livello o quasi, è caratterizzato a suo modo.
    voto:9
    (oggettivamente non è cosi alto ma il mio gradimento è stato questo)
    3.COLONNA SONORA
    Su questo punto c'è poco da discutere, la ost è sublime e la maggior parte delle tracce mi sono rimaste in testa.
    voto:10
    4.GRAFICA
    La grafica di questo gioco rende perfettamente l'idea di diorama, concetto reso ancora più vivo da uno dei migliori effetti 3D del catalogo giochi del 3DS.
    voto:10
    CONCLUSIONE
    In conclusione posso affermare che secondo me questo gioco è uno dei giochi sottovalutati degli ultimi anni, odiato dai fan della sua saga e anche da qualcun'altro.
    Ovviamente anche io preferisco i capitolo per WII e GAMECUBE(il primo non l'ho giocato) ma il maltrattamento verso questo gioco mi sembra eccessivo, basti guardare il fatto che nella media utente di Metacritic ha appena raggiunto l'insufficienza(in senso scolastico).
    Il voto che metto è puramente soggettivo e non voglio assolutamente spacciarlo come oggettivo, (non sono mica un critico) ma sono fiero di dire che ritengo questo titolo uno dei migliori titoli per 3DS almeno secondo me.
    voto generale:9
    (non so se il voto sia una media tra i diversi aspetti, ma è solo un indice del mio gradimento generale per questo gioco)    … Expand
  3. UltraTektite
    Mar 25, 2016
    4
    Paper Mario Sticker Star took away everything that made the first two Paper Mario games great, and was an immense disappointment.

    For starters, it reverted to the simple "Bowser kidnaps Peach" story, and thus lacks the interesting and original stories that previous Paper Mario games had. And even though this generic story could have been executed well, it wasn't. A bland story can still    Paper Mario Sticker Star took away everything that made the first two Paper Mario games great, and was an immense disappointment.

    For starters, it reverted to the simple "Bowser kidnaps Peach" story, and thus lacks the interesting and original stories that previous Paper Mario games had. And even though this generic story could have been executed well, it wasn't. A bland story can still be redeemed by interesting characters, but Sticker Star has none, with the game's cast consisting of Mario, Kersti, Peach, Bowser, and about a million Toads. Yes, that's right. Instead of the game being filled with interesting and unique characters, generic Toads make up the entire supporting cast.

    The gameplay has taken a dive as well. The battle system, albeit creative, is extremely irritating and lacks much depth. The lack of exp and leveling up takes away all sense of reward, and has essentially stripped the series of the RPG elements that made it great. In addition, the lack of a connected world has removed nearly all sense of exploration that the series once had. Also, the puzzles are unfairly cryptic, many times requiring some obscure sticker that you get halfway across the gameworld, with no clues leading to it whatsoever. The same applies to boss battles, each of which has a weakness to one thing sticker, and the outcome of the battle will usually depend solely on whether or not you have that sticker.

    I'd like to be able to say something good about this game, some way it improved over previous Paper Mario games. But it is a downgrade in every way imaginable. The fact that this game's gameplay style is the new standard for the series makes me want to cry. Paper Mario is dead.    … Expand
  4. smeargle05
    Mar 24, 2016
    5
    Paper Mario Sticker Star is quite the mixed bag. It holds itself as a Paper Mario game, but in fact, it diverges from its roots a far bit. When you hear about what the game could have been, you can't help but be disappointed. It might be unfair to compare it to its predecessors, but there are many flaws in this game ignoring the fact that it deviates from the Paper Mario formula.
    I can't    Paper Mario Sticker Star is quite the mixed bag. It holds itself as a Paper Mario game, but in fact, it diverges from its roots a far bit. When you hear about what the game could have been, you can't help but be disappointed. It might be unfair to compare it to its predecessors, but there are many flaws in this game ignoring the fact that it deviates from the Paper Mario formula.
    I can't deny that the game doesn't look gorgeous. One thing the game got right was its visuals; the game finally has its paper aesthetic realized to a great potential. However, there isn't much variety in the visuals and characters themselves. The environments mostly adhere to the world formula of the sidescrolling platformers: grasslands, dessert, etc, etc. It even uses a world map in the same vain as Super Mario World or Super Mario Bros 3. There are no unique characters or enemies. In fact, all the Toads are the same. The story is barebones and really just acts as bookends for the unfocused adventure. What's frustrating is that this art direction is to be blamed by Miyamoto who was so adamant for the developers to stick with the existing Mario characters without altering them.
    On that note, Miyamoto is also to blame for the change in gameplay. There are no companions, and the battle system uses stickers for attacks rather than a menu. Now, it's great that the game is trying something different, but in this case, it was not executed well at all. Battles in almost every case aside from boss battles are unnecessary. Unnecessary in the fact that stickers - which substitute for actions in previous games such as hammer attacks, jump attacks and healing items - are completely expendable. A sticker album is used to 'organise' these stickers on the touch screen, and I put these in air quotes as there really isn't any order in it. Additionally, regular battles provide no real reward besides coins (which you can use to buy stickers, but why would you when you can just find aplenty them in the overworld). The experience points model is completely scrapped in this. There is no incentive to battle.
    As an action platformer, the game design mostly focuses on puzzle solving with this new gimmick of finding real world things aptly called "things". You use these "things" to clear a path or stop the flow of water, for example by deducing with logic (or common sense) which thing to use. For example, there are cardboard bowling pins blocking the way, a bowling ball is needed. However, it's not quite intuitive in how we find or retrieve these said "things" which can drag the pacing of progression by quite a bit from back tracking and searching to no end for these "things". It's also worth mentioning that all this platforming will have the ocassional ecounter with an enemy.
    It is a shame that this is what became of Paper Mario for the 3DS. It could have been great fun, even with its new ideas. But these new gameplay mechanics were poorly implemented and many gameplay elements from previous entries were sacrificed.    … Expand
  5. Juni221
    Mar 19, 2016
    0
    If you haven't play a Paper Mario game yet, DO NOT start with this one. In fact, go start with the first game, and stop at the third, because this game is a mockery of the series. It takes everything fans loved about the first 3 games and just **** all over it, and expect you too like it.
  6. BleachedTwinkie
    Mar 16, 2016
    0
    This is not a game. It is nor a platformer, nor an RPG, therefor it is not a game. It does not fit anywhere into the Paper Mario series and should have never reared its ugly head into the world. Things I hate about this game include:
    -I have seen every area of this game in a Super Mario Game. Not interesting worlds at all
    -Every minor is a toad. Literally a toad. No personality. -The    This is not a game. It is nor a platformer, nor an RPG, therefor it is not a game. It does not fit anywhere into the Paper Mario series and should have never reared its ugly head into the world. Things I hate about this game include:
    -I have seen every area of this game in a Super Mario Game. Not interesting worlds at all
    -Every minor is a toad. Literally a toad. No personality.
    -The battles are absolutely pointless. Not giving EXP makes them just a waste of stickers.
    -Stickers are possible the worst idea I have ever seen implemented. You are basically penalized for battling since you barely gain anything worthwhile, yet you lose your stickers which you should save for the boss fight
    -The bosses are impossible unless you happen you guess which thing sticker you need. Good luck beating Pokey without a baseball bat.
    I don't even know what or who allowed this atrocity to be created, but it should have never tainted and/or killed the Paper Mario series. So saddening.    … Expand
  7. MimoDX2
    Mar 14, 2016
    6
    It's a good game, but sadly it's not a Paper Mario game.
    The graphics are great, that's all i have to say that is good about it. While this game needs some strategy while using stickers to defeat bosses, the sticker system is not good, in Paper Mario you can jump and use a hammer without any costs, and use the special attacks with the Hammer/Jump costing you FP, but now everything has a    It's a good game, but sadly it's not a Paper Mario game.
    The graphics are great, that's all i have to say that is good about it. While this game needs some strategy while using stickers to defeat bosses, the sticker system is not good, in Paper Mario you can jump and use a hammer without any costs, and use the special attacks with the Hammer/Jump costing you FP, but now everything has a cost, stickers. This system is far from being the best, it's good, but it's a betrayal for Paper Mario fans, but that's not the problem.
    The huge letdown this game has is lack of charm, this game is good on it's own, but the charm Paper Mario had is not there. Where are the original characters (aside from Kersti)? Where is the new Goomba partner? Where's the new Koopa partner? Where's the new Bomb partner? Even Super Paper Mario had these, but now everything we have is Toads, and there's no one behind Mario, it's just him and his stupid stickers. The great story, where is it? Why is everything based on a gimmick (stickers)?
    I actually remember when this game was announced back in 2010, Mario had a chomp partner (something we never had), he was useful in both battles and in the overworld. It was something that made me excited when i was 9 years old. But sadly, you made this game a excuse of a game, i mean, how the heck can you make a game destined to be great be a excuse? It WAS going to be great, it HAD a partner system which would qualify this game as a Paper Mario game, but then you removed the new partner system, and basically turned it into Super Mario 3D land, with unoriginal worlds and characters. I remember a lot of Toads which were original in the Paper Mario and Paper Mario TTYD, but then you made all of them silly Toads, without diversity. There's not even Enemies NPCS or at least not those who where partners or lived on a village. And the battles are almost pointless, you can earn coins to buy new stickers, but there's no leveling up, something that made Paper Mario great. Well, that's all i have to say.

    Intelligent Systems, please add at least ONE thing that was great on Paper Mario, all i want are Partners, no, not a new Kersti please, at least 7-9 partners, i beg you. I'm actually fine with a system like Sticker Star's, but all i want is someone behind me, someone to help me, someone to make the game more challenging, that's all i want.

    I would say this is my 4th favorite Paper Mario game, but it's not even one, it's just a Super Mario 3D Land copy with a Mario made of paper on it.    … Expand
  8. TwistedCritic
    Mar 13, 2016
    0
    Paper Mario: Sticker Star is not a Paper Mario game. If you consider this the pinnacle of the series, you've obviously never played any of the previous entries. Do yourself a favor and play the older games, they're all masterpieces, even Super Paper Mario is better than this trash.
  9. Campanella
    Mar 12, 2016
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Paper Mario: Sticker Star is the fourth game in the Paper Mario series, and returns to the turn-based battle system of the first two games. Despite this, it couldn't be further from the earlier games in terms of quality.

    Unlike the first three games in the series, which had a heavy focus on story and characters, the plot in Sticker Star is practically nonexistent, instead on par with the main Mario games. Aside from the game's introduction and finale, almost nothing plot-relevant happens, and few levels have any sort of events at all. The main cast is minimal, only including Mario, Peach (who barely talks), Bowser (who doesn't talk), Kersti (a Navi-like companion), and Kamek and Bowser Jr. (who act as minibosses but only very rarely show up). The supporting cast consists almost entirely of Toads, all with the same base design and almost all of them using the standard red Toad design. If you liked the series for its story and characters, Sticker Star will disappoint you.

    Instead of chapters, there are now worlds with separate levels. As you explore, you solve puzzles, some of which require reorienting stickers used for the scenery. Many levels drag. Some levels introduce extra gimmicks, such as a raft you move by standing on its edges or multiple holes you can drop down, but these often only make levels more tedious, if not unnecessarily frustrating.

    While the game's graphics are great and environments have a distinct "papercraft"-like look to them, the world itself is bland and very formularic compared to the rest of the series. If you've played any of the main Mario games, you know what the worlds here are: grasslands, desert, forest, ice, jungle, lava. Combined with the lack of story, and the minimal events in general, the game ultimately feels very dull.

    Kersti, your partner character in this game, doesn't join you in battle but instead gives you hints if you press L. Most of her hints are either obvious, or outright useless, making this completely worthless.

    The battle system is turn-based again, but instead of having basic moves and gaining additional ones through equippable badges, EVERYTHING is based on stickers you've collected. Healing items? Stickers. Stat buffs? Stickers. Special attacks? Stickers. Your basic jump- and hammer attacks? Stickers. If you run out of stickers mid-fight, tough luck, because now you can't do anything. While the attacks themselves are fine, the fact you can end up UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING makes this system annoying at best and fundamentally broken at worst. Battles also no longer give EXP (as there's no leveling system), only coins (which you can get elsewhere) and maybe a sticker (which you can also get elsewhere far more reliably) if you're very lucky, making fighting anything not mandatory a waste of resources.

    Boss fights are more like puzzles than actual fights. You NEED to have a specific sticker, gotten by finding the corresponding item and turning it into a sticker, or you'll be unable to beat the bosses, as they often take little damage without using the right Thing sticker and have very high amounts of HP. Many of these stickers use more space in your sticker album than most, meaning you have less space for other stickers, meaning it's entirely possible to run out of stickers to attack with and have to start the entire boss fight over, especially early in the game.

    The only reason this game gets a 2 instead of a 0 is because of the graphics and the music - the soundtrack, unlike most of this game, is genuinely nice and has a consistent jazzy/big band style to it, though unfortunately there aren't quite as many memorable tracks as in the previous games.

    Overall, I cannot in good faith recommend this game. If you like turn-based RPGs, give the first two Paper Mario games a try instead if you haven't, or the Mario & Luigi series, and if you like action-adventures with occasional puzzles (which the overworld is closest to), you're better off playing Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, or one of the Super Mario Galaxy games.    … Expand
  10. Tobann
    Mar 12, 2016
    3
    I just cannot recommend this game to anyone except die hard Mario fans and even then maybe not even them. Yes the turn based combat came back witch was good but it really lost something. The loss of gaining experience and gaining something from battles is so great that it makes battle something to avoid rather than take on and overcome. The worst thing that I have heard from people is thatI just cannot recommend this game to anyone except die hard Mario fans and even then maybe not even them. Yes the turn based combat came back witch was good but it really lost something. The loss of gaining experience and gaining something from battles is so great that it makes battle something to avoid rather than take on and overcome. The worst thing that I have heard from people is that you can run out of attack stickers. Like how on earth do you make a game where you can leave your player defenseless just because they have fought too many things. There are also so many generic toads,and I know that Nintendo can do better, they have in the past, they've created amazing worlds and people in those worlds but now they're just missing. They have taken out what made this a great game series, stripped it of all rpg elements that made it great. I have to be honest, I have not finished the game, I was just so put off that I got fed up with it and I think that I will be very hesitant in getting the next game in the series.… Expand
  11. PaperMe
    Mar 12, 2016
    4
    Paper Mario : Sticker Star shouldn't be a Paper Mario. We came from the excellent Paper Mario TTYD to this.. a game without soul! Yes, they had a great idea for a game on 3DS, but a Paper Mario without partner, badge and xp.. No, not for me!
  12. ThoDuSt
    Mar 5, 2016
    0
    At first it seemed okay, but before all the levels in the first world were cleared I was painfully bored, a feeling that lasted the rest of the game. I kept playing hoping it would get better, but it never did. The battles feel pointless, and the bosses are either finished in one turn or will take hours and all your stickers to beat. The world felt empty and dead, not worth exploring. WhatAt first it seemed okay, but before all the levels in the first world were cleared I was painfully bored, a feeling that lasted the rest of the game. I kept playing hoping it would get better, but it never did. The battles feel pointless, and the bosses are either finished in one turn or will take hours and all your stickers to beat. The world felt empty and dead, not worth exploring. What little of a script there was felt cheesier and more worn out than other games.

    People who like this game keep saying that those who dislike it just didn't give it a chance or are judging it on nostalgia. I DID give it a chance, and after I stopped comparing it to older games I still despised it on it's own merits.

    I've never played a game that I've derived less enjoyment from.    … Expand
  13. Darkychao
    Feb 29, 2016
    0
    This was definitely the most disappointing Nintendo game of all time, it's existence bothers me to the core. But what can I say about this game that hasn't already been said? Well, probably not much, but I'm still going to keep talking anyway.

    Let's start at the obvious question "Is it a good Mario game?" No, no it's not. It's weird, confusing and difficult, and not difficult as in    This was definitely the most disappointing Nintendo game of all time, it's existence bothers me to the core. But what can I say about this game that hasn't already been said? Well, probably not much, but I'm still going to keep talking anyway.

    Let's start at the obvious question "Is it a good Mario game?"
    No, no it's not. It's weird, confusing and difficult, and not difficult as in "challenging" but frustrating and unfun; the bosses almost require you to have a certain item to beat them.

    what about "is it a good RPG?"
    No, no it's not. There's no reason to ever engage with any enemies there's no leveling system and your moves are limited so you battling always leaves you with less than when you started; but if you do ever are unable to avoid an enemy and do get into a battle you can just run 100% guaranteed with no negatives. So there's no advantages or disadvantages to battles.

    and finally "Is it a good Mario RPG?"
    No, no it's not. It lacks everything that made Super Mario RPG and the dual Mario RPG trilogies (PM and M&L) stand out. The charm, the characters, the gameplay, the story it's all gone.

    This game alone makes me worry about not only of the Mario RPG series but the future of Nintendo in general. This game is just so wrong I genuinely don't see how the Paper Mario series can recover after what this game did with adding/replacing/destroying characters with out a literal retcon of this game.    … Expand
  14. thatnintendoguy
    Jan 21, 2016
    1
    This game sucks. The stickers suck the gameplay suck the story suck EVERYTHING SUCKS IN THIS GAME! NINTENDO SHAME ON YOU THIS GAME IS A MISTAKE! Dont bús this one!
  15. Fawfully-doo
    Jan 13, 2016
    7
    In my opinion, this is the most underrated Mario game out there. People constantly talk about how this game is terrible because it isn't like the first two Paper Mario games, but that doesn't make the game bad. Super Paper Mario is by far my favorite Paper Mario game, due to how creative, clever, and overall fun it was. Sticker Star has some unique ideas, but there are some notable flawsIn my opinion, this is the most underrated Mario game out there. People constantly talk about how this game is terrible because it isn't like the first two Paper Mario games, but that doesn't make the game bad. Super Paper Mario is by far my favorite Paper Mario game, due to how creative, clever, and overall fun it was. Sticker Star has some unique ideas, but there are some notable flaws that it has.

    Essentially, Sticker Star has a lot in common with the original Paper Mario games in that you have platforming in a free-roam environment, and the return of turn-based combat. The combat allows Mario to pull off attacks, use healing items, and all sorts of unique things depending on the stickers he has equipped. You don't have stickers, you can't battle-it's as simple as that. Experimenting with all kinds of stickers is a lot of fun, and you can still block to reduce damage taken from attacks. However, what I find flawed here is the complete lack of leveling up or experience. This means that Mario never gets stronger, except for the fact that some stickers are more powerful than others. This gets a bit old after a while, and it makes the bosses feel like they go on way too long.

    Another point I find both good and bad about the game is the story. It's incredibly simple, especially compared to the other Paper Mario games. It's still about as funny and charming as ever, but don't expect the darkness of Thousand-Year Door or the emotional characters of Super Paper Mario.

    The game's strongest point is how well the paper gimmick is used. So many amusing gags, puzzles, and the stickers in general prove this. Sticker Star may have its flaws, and it may be very confusing at times, but it's still very enjoyable overall. For that, I give it a 7/10.    … Expand
  16. SuperMatt777
    Dec 12, 2015
    5
    As a long time fan of Paper Mario, I was truly excited for a handheld installment. Unfortunately, I don't feel this game lives up to the reputation of the past three in the series. While it has a few charms here and there, they are mostly overshadowed by its flaws. Battles are fun when you first start, but the lack of reward you get for battling makes them more pointless as you go along.As a long time fan of Paper Mario, I was truly excited for a handheld installment. Unfortunately, I don't feel this game lives up to the reputation of the past three in the series. While it has a few charms here and there, they are mostly overshadowed by its flaws. Battles are fun when you first start, but the lack of reward you get for battling makes them more pointless as you go along. The sticker concept is an interesting idea, but the stickers themselves had many flaws, such as many being over powered and unnecessary to use against almost any enemy. The boss battles were either tough as nails or complete pushovers depending on if you had the right stickers to use. I can say that many of the puzzles the game had to offer were fairly clever and really did get you thinking on which sticker you needed to solve it, Lastly, the lack of a story and creative Paper Mario staples made it feel like I was playing a main game rather than a Paper Mario game. All in all, I'd highly recommend playing the first three games before going to this one.… Expand
  17. ali2005
    Nov 27, 2015
    3
    This game has got some of the worst gameplay ever!I can't even make it past the second level because this game just throws you in and expects the impossible!Although I have never played the first two games,they have got really good reviews and Super Paper Mario is a really good game,but Sticker Star is just horrible!The only good part about this game is the absolutely amazingThis game has got some of the worst gameplay ever!I can't even make it past the second level because this game just throws you in and expects the impossible!Although I have never played the first two games,they have got really good reviews and Super Paper Mario is a really good game,but Sticker Star is just horrible!The only good part about this game is the absolutely amazing soundtrack,but that is the only positive about this game.DON'T BUY THIS GAME!!!!!… Expand
  18. Datamari
    Nov 8, 2015
    7
    It's a good game, but not a great RPG.
    In Paper Mario: Sticker Star, you don't level up or gain new moves. You find stickers to use in battle, so the game is more about managing resources rather than grinding for levels. There's no reward for battling other than coins, and the only thing you spend coins on are more stickers. The game is pretty easy, I beat it in only a week, but the    It's a good game, but not a great RPG.
    In Paper Mario: Sticker Star, you don't level up or gain new moves. You find stickers to use in battle, so the game is more about managing resources rather than grinding for levels. There's no reward for battling other than coins, and the only thing you spend coins on are more stickers. The game is pretty easy, I beat it in only a week, but the boss battles are tough, and cause massive spikes in difficulty. But the game is still good; the visuals are nice, it has some good ideas to it, and it's very fun to play. It has some lost RPG elements, but it's still fun to play, and it shouldn't be overlooked.

    Paper Mario: Sticker Star gets a 7/10    … Expand
  19. SirWalrus
    Oct 28, 2015
    1
    This game was probably one of the most disappointing games I've experienced in a long while.
    Let's start off with the one positive: the dialogue is funny. Sometimes.
    The main problem is that the sticker system is completely flawed. I had to restart the final boss several times simply because I didn't have enough of the right kind of sticker, when I had no way of knowing what I had to    This game was probably one of the most disappointing games I've experienced in a long while.
    Let's start off with the one positive: the dialogue is funny. Sometimes.
    The main problem is that the sticker system is completely flawed. I had to restart the final boss several times simply because I didn't have enough of the right kind of sticker, when I had no way of knowing what I had to get.
    The challenge is almost nonexistent, as there is no experience to be gained. The amount of damage you do is based on two things: Firstly, the type of sticker you use. The way you get new, better stickers is by buying them or by replaying old levels, so there's almost no challenge in getting them. Secondly, how well you use the sticker. The basic stickers can be mastered easily, and the more advanced stickers attack automatically, so there's no challenge to be found. In fact, the sticker system itself makes battles completely pointless. Enemies are fought to get coins. Coins are used to buy stickers. Stickers are used to fight enemies.
    The game is extremely linear, not allowing for much exploration, unlike the other Paper Mario games.
    The worlds are boring and stale, with the regular Grass world, Desert world, Forest world, Water world, Ice world, Fire/Jungle world. Compare that to the previous Paper Mario games, where you were in a toy box, or fighting in an arena, or in a parodied Underworld.
    The partner system and the badge system were removed, eliminating all variety in the game.
    The generic NPC helper has no memorable personality whatsoever, so really the game has none of the charm of the previous ones. The small witty interactions between the characters was one of the best things of the Paper Mario series.
    The plot is a complete copy of the first Paper Mario game: Bowser gets ultimate shiny object and captures princess, defeat Bowser and rescue princess.
    Overall, the game is an unoriginal, unchallenging, and unenjoyable mess.    … Expand
  20. StoopidPingas23
    Oct 19, 2015
    4
    If it ain't broke, don't fix it, that's how Miyamoto should have thought when he told the designers to change the concept to Sticker Star. Thanks to Miyamoto the end result became a huge dissapointment, with a broken battle system and a flat story. Even if the music is kinda nice, I would never recommend this to a true Paper Mario fan.
  21. Digibutter64
    Sep 24, 2015
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. In my opinion, this first handheld Paper Mario isn't strictly a "bad" game; it's just poor in comparison to previous entries in the series. Where past games had a vast array of varied humorous and unique characters, this one mostly uses creatures from standard Mario games, which weakens its value in my opinion. In addition, battle partners are gone, with your only companion for the majority of the game being Kersti; a character that sometimes makes some funny lines but doesn't actually directly attack enemies herself, instead providing the occasional hint on what Mario should do next in his adventure. Speaking about the storyline, that is another element that for me, fell short of the standards set by prior entries; instead of a new enemy trying to destroy the world, you've instead got the generic "Bowser causing chaos" plot. In addition, after Super Paper Mario's RPG/platforming hybrid, Paper Mario: Sticker Star sort of returns to the RPG style; I say sort of because levelling-up and set attacks are gone. Instead, you'll need to collect stickers scattered around the world which are used as your one-use methods of attack, each sticker having different properties. I found this method not quite as fun as past entries, as if you have no stickers, you're left with no means of attacking. Also, due to a lack of levelling-up, attacking non-boss enemies is rather pointless in this game. Overall, this is an okay game, but when compared to other Paper Mario games, Sticker Star is immensely disappointing.… Expand
  22. gregkarate
    Jul 19, 2015
    0
    This game is absolute, complete garbage. The fact that Nintendo took money from people for this game is a disgrace. I've given Paper Mario two chances since the amazing, incredible Thousand Year Door, and that little twerp has blown both chances. At least the Wii Paper Mario had some redemptive qualities. This, on the other hand....

    Look at any negative review. What will you see?    This game is absolute, complete garbage. The fact that Nintendo took money from people for this game is a disgrace. I've given Paper Mario two chances since the amazing, incredible Thousand Year Door, and that little twerp has blown both chances. At least the Wii Paper Mario had some redemptive qualities. This, on the other hand....

    Look at any negative review. What will you see? That battles here are pointless. Why? Well, when you go into battle, you use stickers. What do you get when you win a battle? More stickers. No EXP points... just...more stickers. So why the hell would I want to go into battle with ANYONE!? Good God, who thought this was a good idea? There was NO ONE who thought to speak up and say something?! Who's working at Nintendo these days? The Minions from Despicable Me?

    This is literally the worst game I've played.. maybe ever. I owned Superman 64. I took more enjoyment out of that game (yes, I used cheat codes to make it bearable but still).

    I WANTED to like this game. I put ELEVEN hours into it, trying to convince myself that hey, this isn't so bad. Then as I was running through a forest, dodging enemies (again, battles are pointless wastes of time) it hit me. This game is so bad, I would rather have a lobotomy than be forced to play it another second.    … Expand
  23. NatT96
    Jul 7, 2015
    7
    I guess I can see what the fan base makes it out to be, its simply a slimmed down Paper Mario spin off with great creativite sticker visuals and a lot of missing mechanics from past games. However, backtracking in certain objectives is troubling and can cause frustration at times, besides that it has a solid story and pretty neat sticker elements during battles, but that's the only useI guess I can see what the fan base makes it out to be, its simply a slimmed down Paper Mario spin off with great creativite sticker visuals and a lot of missing mechanics from past games. However, backtracking in certain objectives is troubling and can cause frustration at times, besides that it has a solid story and pretty neat sticker elements during battles, but that's the only use during combat. Overall the game may not be console quality, but is done good enough for new comers to the Paper Mario games, but really its more of a slimmed down paper mario that is only worth it for its graphics, minor uses with the stickers and humor.
    Story: 8.3 Still has a bit of its humor left
    Game Play: Solid 9.2 Nice to control sticker peeling fun
    Fighting Mechanics: 6.5 Fairly Simplistic sticker usage limitation
    RPG Elements: 5.5 Very Slimmed Down Compared To Other PM Games    … Expand
  24. johnnyrio
    Jun 5, 2015
    10
    Fans of the Paper Mario series won't be disappointed. Yet another fine entry and it looks amazing on the New 3DS. It's not Super Paper Mario or Thousand Year Door, nor does it pretend to be. It's a new entry in the series and quite enjoyable. Recommended for anyone who has played all the others.
  25. pokedude143
    May 30, 2015
    0
    I'm going to list the main reasons that I disliked it, so this may get long.
    1. It had little story. It was literally bowser causes havoc, breaks the sticker star, and kidnaps peach. Other games had more interesting stories (Bowser steals the Star rod so that only his wishes are granted, The X-Nauts are trying to revive a 1,000 year old demon with the crystal stars, Count Bleck wants to    I'm going to list the main reasons that I disliked it, so this may get long.
    1. It had little story. It was literally bowser causes havoc, breaks the sticker star, and kidnaps peach. Other games had more interesting stories (Bowser steals the Star rod so that only his wishes are granted, The X-Nauts are trying to revive a 1,000 year old demon with the crystal stars, Count Bleck wants to destroy the entire universe)
    2. It had no memorable characters. The other games had the partners/ pixls who were very memeorable, and even the NPCs were memorable (Don Pianta, Merlon, the previous 3: bowser) but this had Kirsti, who was as flat as the world that you inhabit.
    3. There were no reason to battle enemies. They don't give any EXP, only coins which you use to buy more stickers. And because your attacks are stickers, which you consume, you eventually avoid battles to save enough stickers for the boss, speaking of which
    4. The boss fights sucked. You could only defeat them efficiently if you use their Weakness 'Thing,' but the game gives no indication of what it's weakness is. As a reference, in TTYD, early on in hooktail castle, Kolorado's father writes in his letter that Hooktail dislikes the sound of crickets, and right after you get the ability to turn sideways, there is a badge that makes Mario's attacks sound like Crickets. However, if you somehow missed the badge, you can still beat him as the badge only affects his attack/defense. In this game, If you didn't find the specific Thing laying on the ground a few stages before the boss, then you'll waste all of your stickers trying to fight him. And if you win after using all your stickers, Kersti will ask you if there was a more efficient way of going about it. If a game basically demands that you use a guide to make sure you have the boss's weakness, then that isn't good. (and Bowser has 5 forms, each with their own weakness)    … Expand
  26. MegaMattTyrrell
    May 19, 2015
    8
    I enjoyed Sticker Star. It's no Thousand Year Door...but it sure as hell is a good game. Sticker Star had new battle mechanics which actually needed some skill to use. I think that is what threw people off the most.
  27. darxodia
    Mar 2, 2015
    3
    Simply, the worst Paper Mario game by far, Nintendo changed all good mechanics of the previous games for annoying non-intuitive new ones.

    First of all and most important, the new sticker battle mechanic is irritating most of the times, and particularly, on boss battles. Normal enemies only drop coins, and occasionally, stickers, so there's no need to fight them unless you want to trash    Simply, the worst Paper Mario game by far, Nintendo changed all good mechanics of the previous games for annoying non-intuitive new ones.

    First of all and most important, the new sticker battle mechanic is irritating most of the times, and particularly, on boss battles. Normal enemies only drop coins, and occasionally, stickers, so there's no need to fight them unless you want to trash weak stickers. Most of the times you're going to escape these fights to save your valuables stickers. Without a battle partner the game tends to be very monotone and repetitive. The controls are basics and they don't take advantage of the 3DS.

    Taking off the battle system, it could be a very good game, like Super Paper Mario, because the story is interesting, the graphics are appealing and the music recalls the original atmosphere of the series.

    If you enjoyed the older games, please don't buy this one, you're going to have a bad time.    … Expand
  28. DBPirate1129
    Jan 13, 2015
    8
    Paper Mario: Sticker Star breaks the trend of Paper Mario games coming to consoles and Mario & Luigi games coming to handhelds...does it break even more trends than that?

    I was a big fan of Super Paper Mario and I probably enjoyed it a bit more than I should, no matter how much things it did differently from Paper Mario (N64) and Thousand-Year Door (GCN). I was a bit hesitant about    Paper Mario: Sticker Star breaks the trend of Paper Mario games coming to consoles and Mario & Luigi games coming to handhelds...does it break even more trends than that?

    I was a big fan of Super Paper Mario and I probably enjoyed it a bit more than I should, no matter how much things it did differently from Paper Mario (N64) and Thousand-Year Door (GCN). I was a bit hesitant about Sticker Star but it proved to be a decent game. The first difference you'll notice is the addition of a world map. The map makes it easier to get from level to level and it suits a portable adventure. However, this is probably one of the more excusable of Sticker Star's many tradition-breaking gameplay elements.

    Mario no longer attacks during battles. Yep, you heard me. Instead, he uses various stickers he finds scattered around the world to use. Hammer stickers allow Mario to use a hammer, fire flower stickers allow Mario to throw fire, and there's much more. However, you can run out of stickers incredibly fast as you'll find yourself fighting enemies more times than you'd like to. It you run out of stickers, it can be pretty hard to get your supply back up. The battle system works great, along with the roulette spinner (it can give you more attacks), I just wish it was a bit more improved.

    One of my other main problems with the game is the story. Mario RPGs always have complex and engaging stories, with the possible exception of the first Paper Mario. Super Paper Mario is a fantastic example of great storytelling. Sticker Star's story: Bowser crashes a festival and kidnaps Peach. Mario must collect items in the world. Sounds a lot like Super Mario Galaxy. The story is way too simple for an RPG in my opinion but it doesn't make the gameplay bad or anything. In fact, the gameplay itself is very fluid and nice. At points you may come across things you need to fix which requires a "Thing Sticker"...which brings me to another point.

    Thing Stickers are...well, things (fans, trumpets, toy boats, etc.) that can do certain things in battles and in the overworld. Unfortunately, you can run out of Thing Stickers so you will find yourself backtracking to past levels over and over again to find the specific Thing Sticker you need to accomplish a task. Kind of ruins the "portable" experience a bit.

    Overall, Paper Mario: Sticker Star isn't a bad game. In fact, I enjoyed it...but when you have to use a guide to see where to get Thing Stickers and the story doesn't match an RPG, there's probably something a bit off.    … Expand
  29. WheelzFourReelz
    Dec 30, 2014
    5
    The game is full of charm and the visuals are absolutely beautiful, but the "use stickers to attack" gameplay lacks any kind of depth, making this game feel very stale and not as fun as it could be if it had the RPG elements of the previous games.
  30. camilosanchez16
    Dec 4, 2014
    9
    La razón principal por la que le coloco un 9 a este juego es por que pienso diferente al promedio... La mayoría odio este juego por que no era un Paper Mario real, y es verdad, no lo es, es una fusión entre Mario RPG y Paper Mario que dio una combinación rara pero original, y esto le da un toque único a este juego... Tal vez la marca no sea la correcta, pero si no lo vemos como PaperLa razón principal por la que le coloco un 9 a este juego es por que pienso diferente al promedio... La mayoría odio este juego por que no era un Paper Mario real, y es verdad, no lo es, es una fusión entre Mario RPG y Paper Mario que dio una combinación rara pero original, y esto le da un toque único a este juego... Tal vez la marca no sea la correcta, pero si no lo vemos como Paper Mario, sino como un RPG, es un muy buen experimento.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

23
#23 Best 3DS Game of 2012
2
#2 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2012
5
#5 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 69 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 69
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 69
  3. Negative: 1 out of 69
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Feb 21, 2013
    78
    Brilliant humor and an interesting world won't save Mario's latest RPG offering. Even though the stickers add a lot of variety to the turn based battles, an RPG without any character development tends to turn repetitive eventually. Unfortunately for Mario such is the case with Sticker Star. [Feb 2013]
  2. Hyper Magazine
    Feb 10, 2013
    80
    A great reinterpretation of what makes Mario work. [March 2013, p.72]
  3. DarkStation
    Feb 7, 2013
    70
    Unfortunately for it, Paper Mario: Sticker Star has to deal with being a “pretty good” entry in a series that is usually considered amongst the best games on their respective consoles. While I did have fun with it, there were times when I felt like I was just going through the motions, and very little of the innovation or character of previous entries shone through.
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